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Feathers Over Freeport
2024: April 27 & 28
Since 2011 - A birdwatching & nature discovery weekend for all ages!
Fun new activities and programs are joining the traditional favorites - it is looking to be our best year ever! Check out our pre-event evenings. And remember, the Hawk Watch on Bradbury Mountain begins on March 15 each year!
Community Pizza Night to benefit Feathers Over Freeport
April 17: 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Maine Beer Company - Freeport
Join us for a Community Pizza Night to benefit Feathers over Freeport. Proceeds from a raffle along with 20% of all food sales from 4-8:00 p.m. will be donated to support the annual birdwatching and nature discovery weekend hosted by the Bureau of Parks and Lands.
Park and event staff will host an activity & information table and be on hand to answer questions about birding, the Hawk Watch, and Feathers Over Freeport. Location: Maine Beer Company, in the Tasting Room, 525 US-1, Freeport, ME 04342.
Thursday Evening Opening Program - Piping Plovers Presentation by Coastal Waterbird Biologist Brad Zitske!
April 25: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Mast Landing Taproom - Freeport
Join Coastal Waterbird Biologist Brad Zitske from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for his talk about the state endangered Piping Plovers and what Maine is doing to manage this charismatic beach-nesting shorebird. Topics include population status, management challenges and successes, and what you can do to help. Doors open at 6:00 pm with a social time, followed by a presentation at 6:30 and time for questions and additional info till 8:00pm.The full Mast Landing menu will be available. Location: Mast Landing Freeport Taproom, 200 Lower Main St., Suite 1-2, Freeport, ME 04032.
Feathers Over Freeport On-site Event Park Admission:
Park entry fees apply, all programs and activities are included with paid park admission: ME Residents: Adults aged 12-64: $4; Ages 5-11: $1; ages under 5 and over 65: free. Non-ME residents: Adults $6; Ages 65+ $2.00; Children 5-11 $1. ; ages under 5: free.
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Bradbury Mountain State Park
Bradbury Mountain State Park
528 Hallowell Road, Pownal, ME 04069 / (207) 688-4712
8 - 10 am - Bird Walk: Join us for a walk in the woods to seek out spring migrants and woodland residents. All levels of expertise welcome. Bring your own binoculars. Walk led by Derek Lovitch of Freeport Wild Bird Supply, and others. Meet at the Group Picnic Shelter.
9 am - 3 pm - Educational Displays: Get bird posters, while they last, courtesy of the Maine Wildlife Park and Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Learn what other Maine State Parks have to offer! Located in the Day Use Area.
9 am - 5 pm - Hawk Watch at the Summit: Join a Raptor Biologist on the top of Bradbury Mountain. Learn how experts observe, identify, and count all raptor and vulture species that fly past Bradbury Mountain. Note: Hike to summit is 1/4-mile – A steep, short 15-minutes; commands a great view. Sponsored by Freeport Wild Bird Supply.
10 - 11 am- Bird Walk for Children: Birding is cool! Birding is fun! Imagine something you can do anywhere. You hear a bird, tilt your head to listen, and are able to name the species just from the sound or a quick glimpse. Your friends will be impressed! Join a naturalist on this beginning bird walk designed just for kids (children must be accompanied by parents or adults over 18). We will help you learn some of the basics of identifying birds. Meet at the Group Picnic Shelter.
10 am - 3 pm - Birding Fun & Games: Build a bird house or make a backyard bird feeder while supplies last. On-going hands-on activities and crafts designed for children and families of beginning birders will be available. Program led by the Bureau of Parks and Lands staff and volunteers. Located in the Group Day Use Area and the Playground.
10:30 am - 12:30 pm - Hawk Watch Workshop: Find out what is so intriguing (and so much fun!) about hawk watching. Join us on the summit of Bradbury Mountain for an introduction to this facet of bird watching as we cover the basics, such as why we’re all standing around on this particular hill and how we conduct our research. Then, using visual aids and of course the birds themselves migrating over Bradbury Mountain, we will teach you what to look for to tell the different species of hawks apart from each other. Bring your own binoculars. Program led by Derek Lovitch of Freeport Wild Bird Supply. Meet at the Summit. Note: Hike to summit is 1/4-mile - A steep, short 15-minutes; commands a great view.
10:30 am - 3:00 pm - Cheese the Day Food Truck: The popular Cheese the Day food truck will be on site serving gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, fresh cut Maine fries, and other specialties that are made-to-order with fresh, locally sourced, and housemade ingredients. View a sample menu.
1 - 2:30 pm - Vernal Pool Exploration - Wading into the Woodland Waters: Vernal pools are temporary water bodies which fill from snowmelt and spring rains and provide breeding habitat for amphibians including wood frogs, several species of mole salamanders and invertebrates such as fairy shrimp. Vernal pools make up an important base of the food web and provide a vast amount of biomass to the landscape. Join wetland scientists Lauren Leclerc and Dave Brenneman on a journey through this wonderful and incredibly important wetland habitat. We will learn how to identify a vernal pool and the critters that live in them. Be prepared for wet conditions and wear appropriate footwear for a hike of about 1.4-miles round-trip. Meet at the Group Picnic Shelter.
2 - 3 pm - Drawing Birds Workshop: Michael Boardman, North Yarmouth based wildlife artist, will lead a drawing birds workshop for all levels. The workshop will include basic instruction, a quick demo and practice time sketching several bird mounts. Focus will be on quickly defining form and gesture. There is a possibility of sketching live birds at the end of the session. Held at the Group Picnic Shelter.
3 - 4 pm - Owls of Maine: Habitats and Adaptations of Maine's Native Owls by Chewonki. Two live owls are the highlights of this program, which introduces participants to the owls native to Maine and New England. Beginning with slides and sounds, participants will learn the identifying characteristics and calls of each owl. Then, using talons, wings, and skulls, we explore the adaptations of these silent nocturnal hunters. This program ends with an intimate and detailed look at live owls, bringing these creatures of the night into the light! Held at the Group Picnic Shelter. Learn about Chewonki.
Sunday, April 28, 2024
Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park
Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park
426 Wolf Neck Road, Freeport, ME 04032 / (207) 865-4465
8 - 10 am - Bird Walk: Join us for a walk in the woods seeking out spring migrants and woodland residents. All levels of expertise welcome. Bring your own binoculars. Walk led by Derek Lovitch of Freeport Wild Bird Supply, and others. Meet at the Group Picnic Shelter.
9 am - 3 pm - Educational Displays: Get bird posters, while they last, courtesy of the Maine Wildlife Park and Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Learn what other Maine State Parks have to offer! Located near the Group Picnic Shelter.
10 - 11 am- Bird Walk for Children: Birding is cool! Birding is fun! Imagine something you can do anywhere. You hear a bird, tilt your head to listen, and can name the species just from the sound or a quick glimpse. Your friends will be impressed! Join a naturalist on this beginning bird walk designed just for kids (children must be accompanied by parents or adults over 18). We will help you learn some of the basics of identifying birds. Meet at the Group Picnic Shelter.
10 am - 3 pm - Birding Fun & Games: Build a bird house, learn to sing like a bird and learn birding basics through games, hands-on activities, and crafts designed for children and families of beginning birders. The on-going activities are led by Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands staff and volunteers. Located near the Group Picnic Shelter. Sponsored by the Maine Coastal Program.
10 am - 3 pm - Osprey Watch: Get a close look at nesting ospreys through our spotting scope. Stop by for a quick look or stay if you like to ask questions and learn about their life story. Presented by park staff. Meet at the Osprey Sign across from Googins Island via either the White Pines Trail or Casco Bay Trail.
10:30 am - 3:00 pm - Cheese the Day Food Truck: The popular Cheese the Day food truck will be on site serving gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, fresh cut Maine fries, and other specialties that are made-to-order with fresh, locally sourced, and housemade ingredients. View a sample menu.
11 am - noon - Springtime Plant Walk: Join park staff for a one-hour stroll to locate and identify common spring plants of Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park. Meet at the Group Picnic Shelter.
1 – 2 pm – Nature Journaling Workshop with Lindsay Strout: In this workshop we will explore nature and our power of observation. We will investigate using our senses, practicing awareness and understand how to take that information and put it into a nature journal. We will use words & sketches. You do not need any artistic skills. This is not about creating pretty pictures; it’s about observing and recording data and observations. Meet at the Group Picnic Shelter.
2 - 3 pm - Drawing Birds Workshop: Michael Boardman, North Yarmouth based wildlife artist, will lead a drawing birds workshop for all levels. The workshop will include basic instruction, a quick demo and practice time sketching several bird mounts. Focus will be on quickly defining form and gesture. There is a possibility of sketching live birds at the end of the session. Held at the Group Picnic Shelter.
3 - 4 pm - Birds of Prey: Our Talon-ted Friends by Center For Wildlife: What is the difference between a hawk and a falcon? Do we have vultures in Maine? What is our smallest owl? What is our largest hawk? Where do they live? Using our amazing live non-releasable bird ambassadors, posters, and hands-on materials, we will discuss the kinds of birds of prey found in Maine, their habitats, habits, place in the food chain, and why we need to protect them. This hour-long program will connect the audience with these beautiful ambassadors of their species as well as provide their natural and personal histories and empower audience members to help to steward the environment that we all share. Located near the Group Picnic Shelter.
AND don't forget...
at Bradbury Mountain State Park:
9:00 am - 5:00 pm - Hawk Watch at the summit continues daily through May 15, 2024! Sponsored by Freeport Wild Bird Supply.
